Group To Sylva: Don’t Interfere In Bayelsa APC Guber Primary

A group in the All Progressives Congress (APC), the Bayelsa APC Vanguard For Peace, has called on the Minister of State for Petroleum, Chief Timipre Sylva, not to interfere in the conduct of the forthcoming gubernatorial primary of the party in the state.

The group, in a statement made available to NAIJA LIVE TV in Port Harcourt, said the call became necessary in order to avoid chaos during the exercise.

The statement, which was signed by the group’s Coordinator, Prince Mike Egberi, said that there were signs of disunity in the party already and counselled him against imposition of his preferred aspirants.

Egberi, who faulted Sylva for recent developments in the state chapter of the party, accused the Minister of not showing proper leadership, hence the decision of some party leaders to go to court.

The statement reads in part: “If care is not taken, what happened in Rivers and Zamfara states may happen in Bayelsa State. This was how it started in those states and now, the APC does not have elected officials in those states. This is what happens when one man wants to be in charge of everything.

“The appearance of David Lyon on the list of aspirants came because Sylva wants to dictate what is going on in the party. We will advise that he should provide leadership and ensure that every stakeholder is carried along.

“A situation where some people are under-rated because of the feeling that they are not important is not good for our party. Sylva should sit down with Senator Heineken Lokpobiri and move the party forward.

“The macabre dance being displayed now will only destroy this party and give room to outsiders to take advantage of our disunity and bury the party, just like they did in Rivers and Bayelsa states.

“We are aware that Lyon is Sylva’s aspirant. We are also aware that he brought some other persons to contest. But he hates the guts of other contenders who are seeking the same office but without his blessing.

“He should be a father to all and remain neutral as the leader that he is. Anything short of this will destroy the party.”

Egberi said it was shameful and worrisome that with just a few days to the party primary, there was no clear direction on whether the primary will hold and which method would be adopted.

He said: “We have it on good authority that it is only one person that insisted on the use of direct primary method in selecting the party’s flagbearer. Virtually all members preferred indirect primary, being the method to be used in Kogi.

“So, our issue is this; why is it okay to use indirect primary somewhere else and then in Bayelsa State, another method is preferred. The party is not fair to us and this must be considered in the interest of our collective interest.

“We are not comfortable with this whole thing; our party leaders must, as a matter of necessity, find a way around this impending calamity that is about

befall our party. We cannot afford to lose Bayelsa state because of the selfish interest of somebody or a group of persons.”

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